on ESPN and “Baseball Tonight”

The DiaTribe (a Cleveland Indians blog) has a great analysis on the current state of affairs at ESPN and their once outstanding nightly feature, Baseball Tonight.
It’s well-known that the quality of ESPN has gone down the toilet as it has grown immensely over the past decade or so, concentrated more on entertainment than sports, and [...]

illegal immigration, free speech, high school

I found Professor Eugene Volokh’s discussion of the litigation concerning a high school anti-illegal immigration op-ed interesting.  Among other things, high school student Andrew Smith wrote, “If a person looks suspicious then just stop them and ask a few questions, and if they answer ‘que?’, detain them and see if they are legal.”
How should administrators respond [...]

Massachusetts film industry

The epidemic of tax breaks for the film industry has reached Massachusetts.  The Cape Code Times reports that movie production companies that spend “at least $250,000 in the state [are] eligible for several tax benefits.  These companies can receive a 20 percent tax credit for their payroll expenses and a 25 percent credit for other [...]

regrets, I have a few

My fourth biggest lifetime regret is not attending a St. Louis Rush concert in 2004.  An incredible band and apparently an even more incredible live performer, I had every opportunity to attend what surely was a great concert that summer.
My reasons for not going were simple, but not strong.  I couldn’t afford it, didn’t want [...]

Roland Garros

Who else is excited for the French Open next week?  I know I am, although bar classes begin tomorrow so my ability to watch it, among other things, will be limited.
The world’s most under-appreciated athlete, Roger Federer, took a major stride last week in his quest to achieve the career grand slam.  He defeated Rafael [...]

U.S. Congressman lets the dogs out on Michael Vick

It has not been a particularly smooth offseason for Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick.  He’s already had a marijuana-jewelry-water bottle snafu at an airport (Deadspin), and the latest incident for Vick involves dog fights on his property in Virginia (Deadspin again).
We shouldn’t trust Virginia authorities or the NFL to deal with this situation on their [...]

George Will may have been wrong, but so what?

I came across this letter to the editor of the Arizona Republic from the board chairman and director of the Arizona Regional Anti-Defamation League.  The two officials wrote the letter in response to a George Will column on the federal hate crimes legislation and claimed that “[c]ontrary to Will’s assertions, Americans are free to think [...]

The SLU UNews editorial independence saga (cont.)

Inside Higher Ed’s Doug Lederman wrote a great summary on what has occurred at Saint Louis University between the administration and the University News. 
Although the administration’s first proposed charter gave the vice president for student development substantial control over editor selection, last week “university officials unveiled a final version of the charter that had changed [...]

R.I.P. The Cutty Sark?

The famed clipper Cutty Sark caught fire today in London. 

A sad day for ship enthusiasts everywhere.
cred: kansascity.com

farm subsidies

Too few people realize how the vast amount of subsidies that are given to the American and European agricultural industries harm farmers in developing countries by making it much more difficult for them to compete in protected developed country markets.
In the US, a renewal of the farm bill (the main legislation that grants the subsidies) is [...]